Newly obtained documents detail U.S. government officials’ racist views of Black migrants 

U.S. government officials expressed racist attitudes toward Black migrants, treated their deportation as sport, and dismissed reports of abuse, according to  internal documents obtained by advocacy and activist groups through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. . The records cover 2020-2021, the period coinciding with the “death flights” to Cameroon, in which the U.S. government sent migrants back into danger. The communications provide valuable context for the documented abuse and discrimination the government has inflicted on Black migrants. 

“Cameroonian migrants and advocates have long held that the mass deportation flights to Cameroon and other African countries in 2020 and 2021 were a targeted and racist response to demands for humane treatment. These documents show U.S. government officials' disregard for Black migrants, and the lack of response to some of our document requests highlights a continued desire to avoid accountability for the harms inflicted as a result of these deportations.”  

— Staff Attorney Samah Sisay

The key findings are outlined in a briefing guide released last week by Project South, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Dispatches from Belize! 

On February 2, our client Majid Khan was released from Guantánamo and transferred to Belize after being held in U.S. custody for 20 years! We couldn't be happier for Majid. The government of Belize has welcomed him with open arms and provided him with the resources he needs to begin rebuilding his life. Senior Staff Attorney Wells Dixon traveled to Belize with our co-counsel Katya Jestin to be there when Majid arrived. The trip was the culmination of two decades of litigation and advocacy, and a rare instance when  a Guantánamo case concluded as we would have hoped — with a free client who is already well on his way to living a happy and productive life after Guantanamo. New York Times reporter Carol Rosenberg was also on the ground in Belize to capture the moment. Read her moving piece accompanied by incredible photos, Freed Former C.I.A. Prisoner Has Big Dreams for a New Life in Belize, which offers an intimate glimpse into Majid’s first days after release.

Our client Ashley Diamond featured on TransLash podcast 

To commemorate Black History Month, Imara Jones, award-winning journalist and prior The Activist Files podcast guest, interviewed Ashley Diamond and Senior Staff Attorney Chinyere Ezie about their experiences fighting for trans rights and freedom against the Georgia Department of Corrections for the latest episode of the TransLash podcast. 

You can listen to the interview here or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

You can also read more about Ashley Diamond’s recently concluded lawsuit on our website.